Returning to a "normal" but short routine for the rest of this week will be nice, but on Friday I make my annual trip to coastal South Carolina to enjoy some sun, golf, and surf.
Today's Tweet of the Morning actually happened back on May 26th, but it deserves its place here even three days hence:
I've been watching "A conversation with Calipari" for the last hour, and I think he might be the most charismatic person on earth.
— Shane Ryan (@TobaccoRdBlues) May 27, 2012
If you haven't seen that special, you must. Shane is right.
Speaking of Calipari, let's start with the article that inspired the title of this post. Here is Coach Cal's letter to Kyle Wiltjer, which might set the new modern record for the use of exclamation points in one place.
Your quickies follow the jump.
For SEC baseball in NCAA tourney, eight is enough // John Clay's Sidelines
Kentucky – No. 2 seed in the Gary, Indiana Regional. UK won 20 SEC games this year, going 18-12 in the regular season and 2-1 in the SEC Tournament. Remember, this is a Kentucky team that went 8-22 in league play just a season ago. It’s the Cats’ first trip to the NCAA tourney since 2008.
Kentucky Tries to Get Back on the Horse // SEC 2012: The New SEC - Team Speed Kills
The method for Kentucky football's rise to being a perennial marginal bowl participant under Rich Brooks was simple: play four tomato cans in the non-conference and win at least a pair of SEC games. For five consecutive years, some variation on that formula worked, including Joker Phillips' first season as head coach.
Here's the thing: On paper, we are recruiting better now than when Brooks was here. If that's true, that should begin to show up in the next year or so. If it doesn't show up, Joker Phillips will be looking for an OC job, or HC at a directional school.
Leading Off: Kentucky's Davis is grand prize in NBA lottery - Kings/NBA - The Sacramento Bee
In a recent interview with the New York Times, TNT analyst and former NBA player Steve Kerr said Davis "is going to be an NBA All-Star. He's a … shot blocker with guard skills. The closest NBA player is Kevin Garnett, but Davis is much better handling the ball."
Davis is much better at handling the ball, but does he have the winning attitude of a Garnet? He didn't need it so much in college -- Calipari and MKG provided plenty. But on a weak NBA team? We'll see.
Anthony Davis Sweepstakes to be decided Wednesday with NBA Draft Lottery | MLive.com
Just like any of the other 13 teams that will take part in the NBA Draft Lottery, the Detroit Pistons have a chance at landing the Kentucky star.
It’s just not a very good one.
But Davis and Brandon Knight on the same team sure would be a intriguing pairing.
SEC Football Daily: May 29th // Saturday Down South
Kentucky football will be very interesting this season, even if last season was a total letdown. When Kentucky’s head coaches have had their backs against the wall, they have surprised you. Guy Morriss went 2-9 as Kentucky’s interim head coach in 2001, and the very next season when it seemed all hope was lost, he won seven games. Joker Phillips is 11-14 in his first two seasons, and the wolves are howling at him this year. He has to show improvement.
SEC Official Confirms Plans For ’6-1-1′ Scheduling Model // Saturday Down South
SEC official and scheduling guru Larry Templeton told the Birmingham news that he expects the SEC to end up with a 6-1-1 scheduling model moving forward – that includes six divisional games, one permanent cross-divisional rivalry and one rotating cross-divisional game.
Cats host several players from South Carolina | Bleed Blue Kentucky
The Kentucky football program held it’s first Sunday Showcase camp this past weekend and hosted several players from the Palmetto State. Last year, at the same camp, Josh Brown emerged as an under-the-radar recruit. While the Cats never offered Brown, he signed with Clemson. Camps are crucial for the staff to evaluate talent and find players like Brown.
South Carolina is becoming the new Georgia, where UK manages to get really good scraps left over from Clemson and USC. But sooner or later, the 'Cats are going to need more talent than that.
Change The Game: The NBA influence - College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN
The NBA has fueled this emphasis on offensive players at the collegiate level. And I think NBA officiating has affected the quick whistles against helpless NCAA defenders trying to stop them.
Breathing on James might prompt a foul call in the NBA’s upcoming Eastern Conference Finals. There’s this unwritten rule about protecting offensive players. It’s really hurt the game.
I think this is true, and it boils down to business. Offense sells tickets, defense wins championships. These two collide in the playoffs, and I think more and more the offense is getting the better of it. How could it not?
Draft stock of Baylor's Perry Jones III hinges on proving his consistency // Yahoo! Sports
Big man Damontre Harris picks Florida over Kansas // Sporting News
Billy Donovan with a big win there.
Ranking the power forwards: McDermott, Thomas on top // Sporting News
Ranking the small forwards: Freshmen top the list // Sporting News
Ranking the shooting guards: McCollum, Dixon at the top // Sporting News
Ranking the point guards: Craft, Siva top list // Sporting News
Ranking the centers: Cody Zeller leads in the middle // Sporting News
Great season by Quigley and the UK tennis team.
3-point shot: Figuring out SEC schedule // ESPN
The problem is that Kentucky's natural rival is the Tennessee Volunteers, but the Vanderbilt Commodores are clearly UT's bigger rivalry, at least as far as intensity is concerned.
That may force a UK-Florida "rivalry." That would leave the Tennessee game as a one-shot deal during the regular season.
Vandy's Triple Steal, Purdue-Indiana 'Basebrawl' Highlight Eventful College Baseball Weekend
Should we mock the Indiana Hoosiers for getting into a fight with the Purdue Boilermakers? The Purdue guy clearly made a dangerous slide, but the IU reaction reminded me very much of the Bloomington game last year.
DOOLEY 2012: The SEC Spring Meetings Agenda // Rocky Top Talk